Volunteering at a Historical Site

**renmerc446** · 03-11-2005, 03:26 PM

I've been meaning to do this for a few months now but I finally went to Pennsbury Manor and signed up as a volunteer there. That's the place where William Penn had his "country" estate for when he was in the colonies. It was his dream home where he wanted to live out the rest of his life. (Although it didn't happen that way.) He was there twice for only a couple years at a time and it eventually fell to ruin. The house and several other buildings were rebuilt back in the 1930's as part of Roosevelt's Work Plans. They show how life was back in Penn's day, including some historical trades like blacksmithing, carpentry and cooking.

I haven't taken my training as a volunteer yet but that'll take place at the end of the month. Or at least the first session. But it'll be fun since I've been wanting to do something historically based for years.

**homesteadmamma** · 03-11-2005, 03:33 PM

Sounds like a fun thing to do.

I'd love to something historically based too, but our small town only hires high school students for its musuem in the summer.

I think it'll be a wonderful experience for you.

Have fun!!

**jlxian** · 03-11-2005, 04:17 PM

I've often wanted to do this, too. The places I would like to volunteer aren't near where I live however! I would love to volunteer at an historic fort.

Our local historic sites (Civil War Museum and pre-Civil War house) would be very interesting, though. Maybe when I retire.....

**renmerc446** · 03-11-2005, 04:46 PM

Well, Pennsbury is about half an hour away from where I live. But it's easy to get to. I've taken some open hearth cooking courses and loved it. And since I've learned how to crochet, I would love to be able to learn more about shearing the sheep and making the yarn. I have a spinning wheel, although I don't know if it actually works. It would be great if it did. I hope so.

And I'm enough of a ham to have fun doing stuff like this. Plus, the last time I was over there when they had a demo, I had more fun talking to the people who worked/volunteered there than anything else. I find that I learn more and better if I can get my hands on/in it.

**Darlene** · 03-11-2005, 08:14 PM

That is so neat! Please keep us updated.

**i.m.cheap** · 03-11-2005, 08:32 PM

I work at a living history museum. Old Cowtown Museum~ depicts life in Wichita, KS during the cattle drive years, 1870's.
I am not in costume, I work in the admissions/gift shop area. The only building on the museum site that is air-conditioned. We routinely see temps in the 100's here in July-August. Old Cowtown is a great museum! We have over 40 historic buildings and a real working farm. We have many employees and volunteers in period costume, such as, blacksmiths, cowboys, saloon girls, buffalo hunters, etc.

**bamamomto4** · 03-11-2005, 10:12 PM

This sounds like fun!! Let us know how it goes and post some pictures if you can

**renmerc446** · 03-14-2005, 03:08 PM

Pennsbury Manor has a website - www.pennsburymanor.org. That has some pictures as well as some other information. I went to their Charter Day where they demo some of the crafts they have on site. It was a lot of fun. And what was even funnier, another re-enactor that I know from another group also volunteers there. I just found out about it yesterday.

I don't know what I want to do just yet. At this point I'm willing to try things out and find out what I don't want to do. And being able to do more than one job is better than being told, sorry we don't need you since you only want to do one specific thing. Granted, with having live animals on site as well as the garden, I'm probably going to smell like them.

**SewCrafty** · 03-14-2005, 07:28 PM

Sounds like fun! Can't wait to hear all about it.

**i.m.cheap** · 03-14-2005, 11:31 PM

Here is a link to the Old Cowtown web-site:

http://www.old-cowtown.org/

**renmerc446** · 03-15-2005, 11:51 AM

The Old-Cowtown looks very cool!. If I'm ever in the area, I'd love to stop in. I love visiting historical sites, particularly if they have people who interpret it.

**i.m.cheap** · 03-15-2005, 10:46 PM

I would like to invite EVERYONE to visit Old Cowtown Museum. We are starting something new this year. Vintage baseball games. We have two teams, and they will be playing demonstration games in vintage costume throughout the summer. Fun!

We also recreate the cattle drive one weekend in August, we bring a herd of longhorns in from Bucklin Ranch in Kansas, and run them down the main street in "town".

There are so many special events, it is just a great place to work and to visit.

**renmerc446** · 03-29-2005, 10:00 AM

Woohoo! I have my first volunteering training course today!! Well, tonight. But I'm excited. It sounds like there are several things I know I can do there. Including some clerical stuff. Granted, I do clerical stuff for a living but having to do it for something enjoyable should make it a lot more fun.

**renmerc446** · 03-30-2005, 08:58 AM

Yay. Last night was so fun. A friend and her husband are taking the volunteering course with me and we're going to have so much fun. (And probably be the rowdier people there, unlike the kids.)